Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.

Almost Lover

By Elizabeth Odessky

Try as I might, she just doesn't get it.

Galinda Upland glared at her roommate's prone form across the room. For someone supposedly so clever, Elphaba sure was thick sometimes. Galinda was sure that she could throw herself down in front of the other girl and Elphaba would just keep walking. Well, at least that's what it seemed like.

Galinda had been at Shiz University for three months now and, despite having assured her mother and father otherwise, she had no interest in the boys from Three Queens or any of the other colleges. No, she had spent hours upon hours building an initially tentative friendship with the peculiar roommate she had been landed with and just couldn't get her head around.

She wasn't stupid. Galinda was admittedly flighty in her ways, but she wasn't unintelligent. In fact, she prided herself in being able to read people. Nessa needed attention, Boq wanted to prove himself, Fiyero didn't want to be forgotten, and Pfannee and Shenshen were just officious busybodies.

But then there was Elphaba. She shot another look at the sleeping girl – why couldn't she figure the green girl out? The harder she tried the more interested she became in her roommate's inner workings. It unnerved her – she was actually falling for another girl – but it also felt normal.

She had always blown her attraction to boys out of proportion to try to impress upon others that she had attraction only for men, but now that she was away from home she felt bolder, braver. Sure, she flirted up a storm – she was notorious for it. The truth of it was that it was all to get her attention.

A task at which she tended to fail at rather miserably.

Galinda practically threw herself at Elphaba, but to no avail. The other girl was eternally oblivious, and to seemingly add insult to injury, Elphaba continued to suggest that she liked Fiyero. But Galinda didn't want to give up. She continued to flirt with everyone and even doubled her efforts on Fiyero.

It just backfired. Elphaba was even more distant than before. Just that night they had gotten into an argument over some ridiculous subject or another that she didn't even remember and Elphaba had gone to bed in a huff, glaring at Galinda before pulling her sheets up to her chin and rolling over to face the wall.

Galinda wanted to wake Elphaba and apologize to her, but her roommate looked so harmless when she slept. All those caustic remarks and scalding comebacks seem worlds away when Elphaba is asleep. It's the only time she looks peaceful. The vulnerability of her sleeping roommate just makes Galinda want to be nearer to her. Galinda got up from her bed silently and made her way over to the other girl in the room.

Elphaba had turned in her sleep to face the center of the room, her hair spilling across her face. Careful not to wake the other girl, Galinda settled herself on the side of Elphaba's bed. Hesitantly, she reached over and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and behind her ear. Elphaba shifted a bit, causing Galinda to jump back, ready to retreat to her side of the room, but the dark-haired girl just mumbled something and continued to sleep.

Despite everyone else's assumption that Elphaba was ugly because of her skin, Galinda thought she was striking; that skin coupled with high cheekbones and a strong jaw line only accentuated her almost exotic beauty.

That was when she made up her mind.

Yes, she wanted Elphaba now. She had always been one for instant gratification; if she didn't get what she wanted right when she wanted it, she tended to move on to something bigger and better almost instantaneously. But if it was going to take Elphaba a while to come around, Galinda would wait for as long as it took.

For the moment, she could content herself with being just friends and almost lovers.

Not my best, I know, but reviews are appreciated as always. Thanks for reading.